Miss Laura
History
9-24-14
Ziggurats
Ziggurats were temples built between 600 BC and 501 BC in Mesopotamia. Some Ziggurats were made for the priests to worship the gods and others for the gods to dwell. The priests used the Ziggurats for ceremonies, rituals, and to take care of the gods. The style and materials used to build Ziggurats varied over time. Ziggurats represent the culture, skill, and technology of the Mesopotamians. Ziggurats were built for the priests and some were built for dwelling places for the gods. (1) Through the Ziggurats the gods would be able to come closer to mankind it was believed. These Ziggurats were not places for the public or any public ceremonies. Only priests were allowed inside the Ziggurats and it was their job yo tend to the gods needs, which made the priests very powerful members of society. There are 32 known Ziggurats near Zesopotamia four of them are …show more content…
They believed that mankind only existed to serve the gods and nothing else. When they performed the rituals and ceremonies they had to perform one for each god. they thought that if they took good care of their gods then mankind would be well off and protected. But if the priests neglected their job of caring for the gods then mankind would suffer great evil. People were not allowed in any of the Ziggurats except for the priest, but people would come to the door and leave offerings for the gods such as food and wine. Since the gods couldn't eat for themselves the priest would just enjoy it. The Ziggurats were built in the middle of the town, there was a Ziggurat in every city.(2) The Sumerians would create statues of themselves praying and leave them at the Ziggurats to please the gods. They lacked building materials so they used clay and water bricks and dried them in the